Consultation on Market Access Barriers in Thailand (06/2024)
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) at AIDA CCI informs that, as previously communicated, the European Union is currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand. Although talks were suspended for several years following the political situation in Thailand, negotiations officially resumed in March 2023 and are now proceeding on a regular basis.
Thailand is the EU’s fourth-largest trading partner in Asia and a key member of ASEAN. In 2024, bilateral trade in goods between the EU and Thailand reached €42 billion. EU imports from Thailand mainly consist of machinery and appliances, while EU exports to Thailand include chemicals, base metals, and transport equipment. Additionally, the EU exported services worth €13.4 billion in 2023, with a trade surplus of €1.1 billion. The EU is also Thailand’s second-largest foreign investor, with €24.9 billion in foreign direct investment stocks recorded in 2023.
Given this strong economic interdependence, the success of the FTA will depend significantly on how effectively it addresses the practical obstacles that Portuguese and other EU businesses face in Thailand. These include non-tariff barriers, technical regulations, investment restrictions, and limitations on access to public procurement.
In this context, and in cooperation with the Directorate-General for Economic Activities (DGAE), we request your support by submitting any relevant insights regarding specific interests – either offensive or defensive – of your business sector concerning this agreement, particularly in relation to barriers to market access in Thailand that may affect:
- The trade of goods and services
- Foreign direct investment
- Participation in public procurement contracts
Your contributions are essential for building a consolidated national position within this negotiation framework.
More information on the EU–Thailand negotiations is available here.
Please send your contributions by 26 July 2024 to the following email address:
barreiras.mercado@dgae.gov.pt
For additional clarification and support related to the consultation, please contact the EEN team at AIDA CCI:
- Daniela Veiga – d.veiga@aida.pt
- Deolinda Costa – d.costa@aida.pt
Telephone: +351 234 302 493
